Safety device for railroad-trains.



0. IvI. DE MUNNICK.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILROAD TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. II. I9I3.

1,140,580.. Y Patented May 25, 1915.

ATTORNEYS- OWEN M. DE MUNNIc-x,

0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

' SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILROAD-TRAIN S.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1915.

Application led January 11, 1913. Serial No. 741,394.

T0 all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, OWEN M. DE MUN- NICK, a citizen of the Netherlands, and aresident of the borough of Brooklyn,county of' Kings, and city and vState of New-York, have vinvented a new and useful Improvement in Safety Devices for Railroad-Trains, of which the` following is a specification.

The invention relates to that class of safety devices which is adapted to prevent accidents resulting from` trains running past danger signals. Devices of this nature are as a rule provided with mechanisms controlled by the tower man and operated by the signal which he sets and result when the train passes a signall set at danger in' closing the lsteam valve and opening an emergency air brake valve. Incidentally they frequently operate audible signals such as a bell and `in some cases the sanding device and other similar auxiliaries connected with the stopping of trains are caused to function. One of the main defects resulting from the use of such means has been that the train came to a stop too rapidly so that the emergency brake beycomes more of a menace than a remedy.

Another defect has been when mechanical appliances are used that the necessity for operating them is so rare that they are likely to lbe out of order at the very time* whenthey 'should be in reliable working operation. When electrical .devices have been used the consumption of current in using batteries has proved a serious drawback.

The means used in my invention are such that they are reliable at all times and that they will cause the brakes to be set in stages rather than suddenly so that the train will be brought to a stop without a great jar which follows the sudden application of an emergency air brake. f

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the system, and Fig. 2 is a general view illustrating the connections between the train` and the signaling device.

In the drawings S is the railroad track and K the signal operated by means of a chain L or other equivalent device. Thev `chain L is shown as operating the switch M, the function of which is to bring about a metallic connection by means of the wires P and O with the track S and the auxiliary or third rail E. No batteries are used in this connection S P M O E, but when the danger signal isset the main rail and third rail are 1ny condition to become part of an electric circuit of which the train furnishes .the energy. Somewhere on the train, for instance onthe tender, there is mounted a small electric dynamo D, which is driven by one of the axles in the same way as the dynamos for lighting railroad carriages are operated. The dynamo D is shown as seriesv wound and communicating by connection H- with one of the wheels F of the train. The dynamo is alsoelectrically connected by means of the electric connection U with operating devices A B and C which are respectively shown as being lthe steam supply valve, the air brake valve and the warning tained in operative condition does no work because its circuit is not complete. It is not until the shoe G comes linto contact with the third rail E that the electric current flows through the connection H and U. In

running past signals not set at danger, ther shoe G will come into contact with the third rail E but the switch M being open'there is no metallic contact between the main rail S and the third rail E so that there will be no consumption` of electric energy.

When however the signal K vis set at danger andthe switch M closes, the electric connection will be complete as soon as the` shoe G comes into contact with the rail E and the operating device A B and C will immediately become active.

The third rail E if composed of a single rail would tend to throw on the full power of the dynamo and bring. the vtrain to'a sudden emergency stop. In order to overcome the dangers of such a construction the third rail of my invention is constituted of a series of disconnected metallic rails. Five of such pieces l, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are shownv in the drawing although three pieces are ample for the. ordinary system. Five pieces are used to adapt the third rail for use in both directionson a single track road, the `function of the pieces 4 and 5 being the same as the function of the pieces l and 2 for trains to -slow the train. T

I t .and 2 of the thirdrail.

going in opposite directions. IThe rai-l pieces 1, 2 andv 3 are vinsulated from each other, the

insulating body being designated as I. The

i resistance R 'is used to connect each section 5 .with the. adjacent section. The length of each section depends upon the highest speed atv whichv trains ordinaril travel at that rpart of the road equippe with the third vrail system. For ordinary use 'a third rail ofthreehundred fc four hundred yards len -will be ample whereas for express tralnsa thirdrail'of perhaps one thousand yards in length might have tobe used.

. ,The function of the insulation I and resistance'R is the following: Suppose the sig- "nal'K tobe set at dan r and the train about 'to run past'the signa, the `shoe G contacts with the third rail section 1,- electric energy from' the dynamo will be promptly communicated to the operating devices A B and C, but by reason ofthe two resistances R that must be passed through before the electric connection with lthe conductor O attached i to section 3, of the third rail is complete, the dynamo energy is kept relatively low and both the brakes are partially set and tend ey do not bring itto a sud en' stop. As .the train runs onat third railis reached by the shoe G. The train already tends to slow down and the dynamo revolves at a 'le rate of speed than before. At this point the shoe having passed over the first resistance R, there -remains .only one resistance in the circuit whose energy would be accordingly. in-

creased causing further application of the brake.l When .the last resistance R is assed v the train is already in the recess o slowing down considerably, the ynamo revolves at considerable lessspeed, but now the full current is permitted to take efectand the stop during the time that the shoe G is in contactr with section 3 'of the third rail although this is not necessary es ially in view of the additional circuit shown v1n.

Fig; 2.y This circuit is completed by the electric switch N which operates when the maximum .current is passing through its coil so that the circuit V is notcompleted until the shoe G has reached section 3 of the third rail. Once the circuit V is completed 5 the dynamo current will pass. through the brake coils independently ofthe track and third rail circuit so that the brakes will remain set even if the train should run be vyoud the third rail or -until the dynamo somew at. reduced speed, Asection 2 of the.

over sections l rail S, or at least thesections which are in the neighborhood of the third rail must of course metallically connected, as for instance, by the-connection T. The arrows X and Y indicate the direction ofthe trains. "When the trains come in the direction of the arrow Ythe third rail sections l5 and 4 play the same part as do the sections 1 and 2 when the train comes inthe direction of the arrow X.

The bell C' circuit is shown as', a branch circuit and itfisobvious that a mainY circuit might beused for one or moreA main or branch circuits as are requisite. to bring the train to a-stop. The operating devices A and B are shown as -brought into lplay by means of induced magnetism of the coil con-V trolling their levers but anyfother devices` i may besubstituted to take advantage of the available electric current.

Section 3 of the third rail is shown as of greater length than sections l1 and 2, but .the length of lthese sections as well as the length o f the entire rail and the number of resistances used will of course depend upon the particular. conditions prevailing' at the particular place where the signal is located. It is also obvious that the system is equally as applicable` to steam railroads as to electric trains 'being independent of the motive power o'f the traction. system as such WhatIclaimis:

1.. Inadevice for automatically stoppin trains'the combination of a main track an locations, composed ofsections insulated A from .each other and connected in seriesby means of resistances, a connecting circuit capable of conducting current between said regulating apparatus and the main track, and a switch for closing said connecting circuit. L l

2. In a device .for automaticallyl stoppin trains the combination with a block sign 'of a main track and a re consisting of a third ra' ofpredetermined limited Vlength extending over a short distance near the signallocation, composed of sections insulated fromfeach other and connected in series by means of resistances, a

connecting circuit capable of conducting' current between one of the sections` of said regulating apparatus and the main track and a switch interposed in said connecting circuitadapted to complete the metalic connection therein when the block signal is set at danger.

3. In a device for automatically stopping trains the combination'of a main track and a regulating apparatus consisting of a third rail of predetermined limited length extending over a'short distance near slgnal loca'- ating apparatus. i

5 itself ceases to recate entirely. The main tions, composed of sections insulated from 130 each other and connected in series by means of reslstances, a connecting clrcuit capable of conducting current between said regulating apparatus and the main track, a dynamo operated by the movement of the train, electric connections between said dynamo and the train wheel, operating devices to check the movement of the train terminating in a contact device for the regulating apparatus and an electric connection between the dynamo and said operating devices whereby the current is adapted to operate the operating device.

4. In a device for automatically stopping trains the combination of a main track and a third rail composed of sections insulated from each other and connected in series by means of resistances, a conductor capable of conducting current between said third rail and the main track, a` dynamo operated by the movement of the train, electric connec tions between said dynamo and the train Wheel, operating devices to check the movement of thevtrain terminating in a contacty device for the third rail, an electric connection between the dynamo and said operating devices and an additional circuit line adapted to complete the circuit through said operating devices and means controlled by said electrical connections for automatically switching .in said -additional circuit line when the contact device reaches a predetermined section of the third rail.

5. In a device for automatically stopping trains the combination with a block signal of a main track, a third rail composed of sections insulated from each other, resistance for connecting said insulated sections in series, an electrical connection between the main track and said thirdv rail, there being a plurality of sections between the end of the .third rail and the point at which said circuit is connected thereto, a switch in said connection controlled by said block signal and adapted to b e closed when the signal is set at danger, a source of current carried by the train, electrical connections from the source of current to the train wheel. and to a shoe adapted to contact with said third rail, brake controlling means in the said connections whereby when said block signal switch is closed and the shoe is in contact with the third rail, current will flow through the circuit and operate the brake controlling means, the strength of the current varying with the distance' the shoe has advanced OWEN M. DE MUNNICK.

Witnesses:

FnANK F. KIRKPATRICK, y R. ABERLL 

